Born: 19 May 1881
Died: 10 November 1938
Nationality: Turkish
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an accomplished army officer come revolutionary, who became Turkey’s first President. Initially, he trained at European-style military schools within the Ottoman Empire and proved himself an able soldier/ leader in the final conflicts of the Ottoman Empire’s military and in World War I. After the war the Ottoman Sultanate, under the governance of Grand Vizier Damat Ferid Pasha, agreed to the 'Treaty of Sèvres' but Kemal and his newly established Turkish Parliament/ Grand National Assembly rejected this treaty and its terms, thus, starting Turkish War of Independence. After gaining independence for the Turkish State, he came to the fore as 'revolutionary statesman'.
Through Atatürk’s and the GNA’s (Grand National Assembly) tireless efforts, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on 29th October 1923, after the 'Treaty of Lausanne'. The GNA elected him to rule and between 1923 and 1938, he was the first elected President of the Republic of Turkey.
His new government focused on modernising the newly formed Republic of Turkey and adopted social, economic and political reforms that moved Turkey from its former Islamic and imperial roots, to a modern, democratic and secular nation.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk can definitely be considered a Great Utopian. His dedication to his country revolutionised Turkey and its society for the better. Moreover, he is seen as the person who unified the nation and all of its peoples, hence why the name Atatürk was granted solely to him by the Turkish parliament which translates to ‘Father or All Turks’.